Collapsible house trailer



Nov. 28. v 1939. w s 2,181,844

GOLLAPSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER FiledvJuly 16, 1938 .2 Sheets-Sheet l I? .1.101 101 101 7.3 01

INVENTORF L. WINTERS COLLAPSIBLE HOUSE TRAILER Nov. 28, 1939.

Filed July 16, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITEDSTATES 2 Claims.

My invention relates to collapsible house trailers, and its principalobject is to provide a trailer of the character referred to which isadapted for residence over long periods of time as distin- 6 guishedfrom the usual temporary or holiday periods for which the present typeof house trailer is employed.

In house trailers as at present constructed, requirements of the presentState laws are that the structure as a whole shall be keptwithinover-all dimensions as specified by the said laws, the consequence ofwhich is that furniture and other equipment necessary for 'daily lifewithin the trailer must be of a very small size, primitive inconstruction, and not at all adapted to provide the comforts which arenecessary to residences for over long periods.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a trailerwhich when in collapsed or closed condition will meet all therequirements of the various State laws as regards over-all dimensionsbut which when opened up for residence purposes provides ample room forordinary house or apartment furniture as distinguished from thetemporary, make-shift, and built-in equipment which is at presentemployed. In other words, my improved trailer when in the openedcondition is suitable for all the year round residence of persons whowish to live in one place for a considerable period and at the same timedesire to change their location after relatively long intervals.

Another object of my said invention is to provide a collapsible housetrailer which is simple in construction and cheap to manufacture bymodern production methods, and which at the same time presents ahome-like and artistic appearance when in the opened up condition.

A furtherQject of my invention is to provide means whereby the movableor folding elements of the trailer may be partially balanced, so thatthe effort required to open or fold up the trailer is reduced to aminimum.

With these and other objects in view, I will now describe a preferredembodiment of my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings,in which- Figure l is a side elevation of my improved house trailer inwhich the left hand portion shows the same in the closed or folded upcondition, while the right hand portion shows it in an opened upcondition ready for occupation as a residence.

66 Figure 2 is a plan view of the same showing the parts in their foldedor closed positions, in broken lines.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the trailer showing the positionsoccupied by the various I parts when opened up for residential purposes,5 taken on line 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the same, partly in section.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing the construction ofthe swinging ele w ments which form the sides of my inproved trail-Figure 6 is a vertical transverse section dra to an enlarged scaleshowing one form of the mechanism by which the movable parts of my 15improved trailer may to some extent balance one another so that theirmanipulation is very much facilitated and simplified.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary side elevation of the same, and 20 Figure 8is a fragmentary transverse section corresponding to Figure 6 butshowing the main elements of the structure in partly opened positions.

Like characters designate corresponding parts 25 throughout the severalviews.

In the drawings, l designates a chassis frame which consists essentiallyof a pair of longitudinal members i I connected by transverse members I!and having lateral members 93 which extend 30 outwardly to the sides ofthe vehicle and are connected by longitudinal members id, as shown moreclearly in Figure 4 of the drawings. The longitudinal members ii extendrearwardly be yond the transverse members i2 and are con- 35 nected bysuitable suspension springs to a rear axle 2 which carries suitable roadwheels 3 of any ordinary construction, while the said members ll extendforwardly beyond the transverse members 12 where they are connected bysuitable 40 suspension springs to a front axle d, the said axle carryingroad Wheels 5 which are carried upon steering knuckles 5i and providedwith steering arms 52, the latter being connected through the usualtransverse steering rod 53 which is adapted 5 to be moved back and forthby means of the trailer hitch lever B pivoted to the axle at El andconnected to the rod at 62. The spring suspension means as Well as thewheels, axles, and steering mechanism may be of any ordinaryconventional construction and form no part of the present invention, sothat it is not deemed necessary here to describe them further.

Pivoted to the end transverse members 52 as at H are the arcuate walls'1 shown at "JA in or broken lines in the closed position in Figure 4and in solid lines in the same figure in the extended or opened upposition in which, as will be observed by reference to the drawings,they 5 provide spaces I8 which form extensions of the central chamber orspace above the chassis frame. Slidably mounted within the arcuate wallsI are the doors [2 shown in full lines in their extended positions inFigure 4 and provided 10 with windows of glass or other transparentmaterial as indicated at I5 in the right hand portion of Figure 1. Thesaid doors are carried upon upper and lower wheels or rollers I8 whichengage track members I4 within the wall I. In this manner, as shown inthe plan view Figure 4, a

very roomy and convenient interior space is provided within the trailer,the main portion including the spaces 18 and a central space, over thechassis frame forming a room of considerable 20 size which is adapted toreceive any ordinary type of parlor furniture and presents a veryattractive appearance both from the inside and the outside.

The spaces between the extreme transverse 28 members l2 and the endwalls I41, 8 of the trailer serve to provide on the one hand, asindicated at Ill in Figure 4, a space suitable for a closet, lavatory,or other purposes, while the space at the other end designated I42 formsa 80 very convenient space for a kitchen, including a stove,refrigerator, and other conveniences.

In order to provide a fioor for the spaces 10 there are the members 8vof substantially semicircular shape shown at 8A in the left hand 8portion of Figure 1 in the folded position and in Figure 3 in theextended position, the said members being hinged at 8| to the mainchassis frame and being adapted to swing around their hinges into theirclosed position as indicated at 8A in an the transverse section, Figure3.

Similarly, in order to provide roof structures for the spaces 18 thereare the substantially semicircular members 8, pivoted at 8| shown at 8Ain closed position in the left hand portion of Figure 45 1 and in openedposition in Figure 3, the said members being positioned in a slopingdirection in order to provide suitable drainage, and in overlappingrelation with the members 8 are the inclined roof members III, asindicated in the transverse section Figure 3.

It will thus be seen that when the various elements are in their closedposition, as indicated in the left hand half of Figure l and in planview Figure 2, the roof members 8 are first raised in 55 the directionof the arrow :1: in Figure 6 until they occupy the positions indicatedin Figure 3. The fioor members 8 are then swung downwards from theirpositions as shown at 8A in Figure 3 to the horizontal positionsdesignated 8 in the same fig- 00- ure. The wall members 1 are then swungoutwards until they occupy the positions indicated in Figure 4, and thedoors 12 are slid outwards in a radial direction upon their supportingwheels 18 until they meet at 1 in Figure 4. The trailer is as thenopened for use and the furniture and other equipment, which in themeantime has been stored in a compact manner within the closed trailer,are moved outwards into positions convenient for use, as will beunderstood.

70 In order to allow free access to the wheels 3 and 5, the lowerportions of the end walls designated I41, I48 are hinged as at I so thatthey may swing around as indicated at 1A in Figure 4.

7a In the enlarged fragmentary views es 6, 7

and 8, a portion of one of the roof members 8 is shown pivoted upon theshaft 8| and a portion of one of the floor members 8 is also shownpivoted upon the shaft 8|. The shaft 8| is carried in bearings 88 whichare secured to transverse members designated |8| in Figure 3, while theshaft 8| is carried in bearings 88 secured by any suitable means to thechassis frame. Keyed to the shaft 8| are the cam-like members 82 uponwhich depend, when the parts are in the closed position as shown inFigure 6, rods 85 provided with grooved guide rollers 88 rotatablycarried on suitable pins .88 attached to the framework. The upper endsof the rods 85 carry rollers 81 which bear upon the cam members 82, andtheir lower ends are provided with racks 84 adapted to engage withpinions 88 also carried upon suitable shafts. The pinions 88 mesh withsegmental gears 82 upon the shafts 8| by which a partial balancing ofthe members is obtained, as before stated.

In operation, the parts being in their closed positions as indicated inFigure 6, the roof members 8 are first swung outwardly in the directionindicated by the arrow. :1: in that figure. The cam members 82 movingdownwardly, leave the rods 85 with their rollers in their upperposition, being so held due to the connection of the racks with theco-acting pinions. Continuation of the upward movement of the member 8allows the downward movement of the floor member 8 to commence untilthey reach the position shown in Figure 8. This initial movement causesthe rods 85 to move downwardly until the rollers 81 again rest upon thecam members 82, at which point, as will be obvious, the force exerted bythe movement of the floor members produces downward pressure upon thecam members, and further movement of-the floor members in the directionindicated by the arrow .2 in Figure 8 causes a corresponding movement ofthe cam members, so that the falling of the floor members helps to raisethe roof members, as indicated by the arrow :c, to an extent dependingupon the configuration of the cam members. The arrows m, n, 0 indicatethe respective directions of movement of the racks and associatedpinions.

It will be understood that the balancing gear is applied at both ends ofthe members 8 and 8 and that suitable framing will, of course, beprovided for supporting the pins 88 carrying the rollers 88 and thepinions 83, and stops will also be provided for limiting the movementsof the members 8 and 8. It is, however, deemed unnecessary to furtherdescribe or illustrate these features.

It will be observed from the foregoing description and by reference tothe drawings that I have provided a trailer which provides a verygreatadvance in the art, and while I have herein described and shown apreferred embodiment of my invention, it will be readily understood thatvarious modifications in detail may be made to suit particular orpeculiar requirements without departing from the spirit of my inventionas defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A trailer comprising a main chassis mounted upon road wheels andhaving fixed floor and roof members and also fixed wall sectionsdefining permanently enclosed spaces at each end, the sides.intermediate said spaces being normally open;

auxiliary floor members of substantially semicircular shape hinged tosaid chassis and adapted for form extensions of the fixed fioor memberand to fold upwards against'the sides and fill the open spaces therein;auxiliary root members of substantially semi-circular shape hinged tosaid chassis and adapted to form extensions of the fixed roof member andto swing downwards upon the folded iloor members; arcuate wall memberspivoted to said fixed floor and roof members and adapted to coincidewith the edges oi said auxiliary floor and roof members and to partiallyenclose the spaces therebetween, and to swing inwardly into foldedpositions within the main chassis; and arcuate door sections arranged intelescopic relation with said wall'members and adapted to extendoutwardly to complete the enzlosure or the semi-circularspaces betweensaid auxiliary floor and roof members. 2. ,In a trailer having a mainbody provid with fixed fioor and roof members and having auxiliary fioorand roof extensions hinged to said main floor and root members,respectively, and adapted to fold upon one another when not in use,means interposed between said floor and root extensions whereby thedownward pressure or the root extension is caused to assist the upwardmovement or the -fioor extension and whereby said fioor and rootextensions may be moved in proper timed relation, said means comprisinga cam upon the root extension, a rod slidable upon the body and havingits upper end carried upon said cam member and its lower end providedwith a toothed rack, a pinion fixed upon said fioor extension, andsearing intermediate said rack LIOWINTIRS.

